District 23 includes most of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Rio Verde, while District 28 covers much of north Phoenix, Paradise Valley and parts of Scottsdale.

Candidates were not allowed to campaign, give stump speeches or attack their opponents during the forum. The idea was to "create a different kind of forum" aimed at gauging how candidates stand on specific issues and what they will do if elected to further those issues, said Joe Rubio, the organization's lead organizer.

Most of the candidates agreed with the organization's stances. Highlights of the forum include:

• Kavanagh disputed assertions that per-pupil spending in Arizona falls far below the national average and said an Arizona Supreme Court ruling will restore mandated inflation funds to education. Schwartz and Pennypacker said they support increased education spending.

• Kavanagh also said he will continue to oppose Medicaid expansion, calling it too expensive and unsustainable. Lawrence was the only other candidate saying he would oppose expansion, adding that if a Republican president is elected in 2016, there may no longer be an Affordable Care Act.

• Littlefield said he favors increasing education funding, but it isn't going to happen right away because the money isn't there and a majority of voters oppose raising taxes.

• Brophy-McGee said she was one of the lawmakers who "led the charge" for Medicaid expansion and that she has no doubt it was the right thing to do. Meyer said that, as a physician, he has seen the positive impact its had first-hand, and that he considers voting for expansion "one of the highlights of my legislative career."